IRB hand over £1.74m tsunami cheque

The International Rugby Board has presented the United Nations World Food Programme with £1.74million that was raised from the tsunami aid match at Twickenham earlier this month.

It is the largest single donation the WFP has ever received from a sporting event.

IRB chairman Dr Syd Millar, who presented the cheque to the WFP at the World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong, said: "The rugby community can be very proud of this result.

"The match was played specifically to raise money for the long-term rebuilding of communities on the rim of the Indian Ocean that were devastated by the tsunami on December 26 2004.

"The IRB's humanitarian partner, the United Nations World Food Programme, has informed us that disaster relief and recovery operations are difficult to fund once the initial crisis period is over and the news agenda moves on.

"Therefore the revenue raised from the rugby aid match at Twickenham was for rebuilding after the tsunami and is vital to the funding of this difficult relief operation."

The match, won by the southern hemisphere over their northern counterparts, attracted a 40,000 crowd and was broadcast live on the BBC.